#and then we literally see Jason and the writers do nothing with it 😭

[azuree1733]

YJ come back to me please 😭🙏

[dioriysus]

love the fact that tim drake’s vulnerabilities and mental health are more explored in the fan fics but he is unfortunately, somewhat suave canonically and is skilled at harbouring all the trauma or atleast intellectualising it rather than giving himself a moment to just feel the emotions (atleast that is my impression from the haze of memories). usually the fanfics depict him as someone unable to control his vulnerabilities and there’s nothing wrong about that but part of the reason that he doesn’t get much opportunity to be outright vulnerable is bc he is a skilled navigator among ppl and convos. the boy literally knows and analyses any thought/emotion that pops into his mind, he’s obsessed with his ability to manage it all.

i think the main emotion he suppresses is guilt and bc he’s objective enough to understand that under this line of work, there is technically no point in feeling the guilt, it’s disregarded and builds up. guilt about his responsibilities as a vigilante, for potentially endangering the lives of the civilians he loves, the overwhelming pressure to please everyone in both sectors of his life. he’s mature for his age, something that’s acknowledged by his family and surroundings and somewhat by himself as well. he doesn’t let himself linger on disappointment towards others as often as he should and moves onto what is under his control immediately.

that’s always been his biggest coping mechanism, control. tim doesn’t dwell, he has enough awareness of the world and his position in it to not constantly be reacting instead of just acting. i think that’s why him and steph’s differences in social backgrounds didn’t hinder the relationship bc he is generally a smart and self aware guy and can empathise with others while sticking to his moral grounds.

steph’s introduction into his life helped tipped the balance he so proficiently curated on the matters of heart vs head. it’s simple around her. yes, he feels a responsibility to keep her out of vigilante life as batman’s protege but she expects nothing from him (at first) and he likes that. that’s not to say that he didn’t fulfil any boyfriend responsibilities (he literally was there to help her deliver her baby) but she likes him for all he is and he does the same and everything else comes naturally and out of duty of the heart.

i think after war games and all, we obviously see him transform more and more into Batman. his civilian life that used to be as equal and important as robin became more withdrawn, a little less genuine and more tactic based? it was an understandable progression given all the losses he had been dealt with. the charms that came from him as a well-rounded person with academic/emotional intelligence were sort of lessened to tools to help enhance robin/red robin’s missions rather than.. ykno.. actually make good connections with people.

can’t say much bout the new52/rebirth as i hadn’t taken in much of Tim’s characters as vividly as his 90s series.. but i do commend the dc writers on letting Tim talk about how much he likes bernard and why.. feel like the last few timsteph content (minus some of the yj stuff) started to feel stale and was just Steph sulking around him (pls don’t hate meeee, there were cute moments but i missed the tension and chemistry from their original run)

i think he’s an incredibly interesting character and if there are to be any other live action depictions, I’d rather they take inspo from the robin series than anything else. let him be the well-liked guy who seems to be doing well in everything and then we can dive into the dynamics with his father, with Batman and other authorities in his life.

also i reckon if damian hadn’t met Tim through his connection to Batman, he would’ve had similar kind of dynamic as he does with dick 😭 idk i love looking at the parallels b/w tim and dick. tim wouldn’t obv give as much grace to damian as dick does, nor can he intimidate him through any means of physical combat like jason (i giggled writing this bc Damian doesnt take Jason seriously but atleast they’re both aware that they both need to reel in the violence). idkidk they’d have a fun back and forth relationship and Tim being the strategist he is would put Damian’s strengths to good use and Damian would respect that.

ok let me stop this rant once and for all bc i have actual tasks i need to get done but i lauv tim drake if u couldn’t tell! if there are any points of this essay that doesn’t make sense, that’s fair bc pls let me reiterate that my memory is not the strongest soldier and i could be mixing iterations of tim from all places saur yeahhh

[wrongcaitlyn]

this isn’t tyt related BUT

I am asking the great writer on advice of how to write a paragraph on explaining a characters appearance because i am STRUGGLING. it should be easy but the words are not wording 😭 any tips for this and just writing in general? (you’ve probably said this somewhere else but so sorry i didn’t see it)

ahhsdf first of all i am flattered that you think of me as a great writer 😭 but!! i do have a few tips!!

so first of all, the amount of detail that you put into a character's appearance really depends on perspective!! for example, i've definitely sometimes written entire paragraphs of, like, nico describing will - a subtle nod toward the fact that he's completely and utterly whipped for him. but then for another character, such as, like, reyna, i may do something simple like "a tall girl with her hair in a braid" (i can't remember the actual description i gave reyna lmao)

so, for a short description:

the simpler, the better. i think the most identifiable traits of a person is their hair (if we're talking about a regular human being, not an alien or animal or something, in which it would probably be whatever traits are not human - such as, say, a cat tail would be the most identifiable trait of catra from shera)

i usually just revert to the easiest method, which is just: hair color and style. if it's in a braid, or a ponytail; if it's short, or long; blonde, brown, pink, or anything else - then your reader already has a vague image of this.

also, it depends what kind of story/fic you're writing! if it's a solangelo fic, chances are, writing "blond guy" is literally all you need to write to make sure your audience knows you're talking about will. but if you're writing a fic in which there are several blond guys, then you'll probably want to go into slightly more detail (like, curly blond hair for will, and short blond hair for jason - even though for jason, i would say glasses would be the defining trait)

eyes are also good! or what they're wearing! just make sure that whatever description you're adding is something that either helps identify the character, or identify the character's personality. a baggy hoodie for nico. a flannel jacket for will. leather jackets, plain tee-shirts, ripped jeans, a mini skirt, flowy dresses, are all pieces of clothing that can make a statement about the character, specifically in au's- because we already know this character, but in this universe, what are they like?

adding on to that, a casual way to point out their clothing is to mention it in relation to the weather. i've done this so many times. like, will wearing a plain tee shirt and cargo shorts in freezing weather! or something like that. if it fits into your story

just remember that, most of the time, people's internal monologues aren't going super in depth about a person's appearance - if i meet someone new, i'd probably note smth like "oh, this guy has glasses and short dark hair. he's wearing a blue jacket" in my head, and nothing further than that

HOWEVER. this is where you get to share more about the person whose pov you're writing. say you're describing the love interest - it would be very likely for (and i'm just using nico and will as an example bc i write them the most) nico to go super in depth about will's freckles, and how blue his eyes are, and how there's a strand of blond curly hair caught in his eyelash, and how his jacket is loose over his shoulders but seems to fit just right, and the star wars tee-shirt that he's wearing is so ridiculous and yet he looks just incredible.

allow yourself to fully think in the perspective of the person you're writing. is the person detail-oriented? if so, they'd probably take more notice of people's appearance than someone who doesn't give a shit. is the person interested in fashion in the first place? then they may add notes about how this piece of clothing really brings out their eyes, or comment on how horrible the shoes match with the jacket.

but *most* of the time, it's something simple. i've gone into so much detail and a slight ramble here lmfaoSKDJF BUT- the MAIN thing i wanted to say was, if you're really in doubt, don't waste too much time on a character's appearance! find one/two identifiable traits, work it into their entry (he ran into a blond guy with a green flannel; she narrowed her eyes, trying to recognize the girl with bubblegum pink hair and a leather jacket; he could only see the back of his head, taking note of the shoulder-length dark hair and denim jacket)

in the end, physical appearance is one of the least important parts of a story - specifically in fics, when everyone already has an idea of how characters look and will likely already have hc's as to what kind of clothes they wear/what length their hair is. add what you like, but if you're worried about making it sound good, just remember that even if you don't add a physical description at all, once you say the character's name, probably everyone will already have a semi-accurate picture of the character in their head!

thank you for the ask :)

[dankovskaya]

hiiiiii this is such a silly question but as the premiere kory enjoyer do u have recommended kory readings? i've only read her in some of her team comics (like ntt and outsiders etc) but i was wondering if she had any standout issues. i trust ur opinion most of all

HI ELLAAAA. I know this isn't exactly what you asked for but just for future reference @/princesskoriandr made the definitive Kory reading list right here.

I'm linking this because you are not going to like my answer to this which is that upwards of 90% of the Kory writing worth reading and taking at all seriously happened in NTT 😭 Like I hate to say it but even with all the issues of racism and misogyny irt her character as written by Wolfman, you're basically always losing SOME degree of nuance or interiority (or just overall interest in exploring her as a character) with essentially any other writer.

It's also been too long since I read any of it for me to remember individual issue numbers off of the top of my head 💀 BUT on a quick skim of that reading list (and assuming you've read at least the very beginning of NTT), I will recommend:

NTT v1: #16, #22-25 + Annual 1 (this arc introduces Komand'r and just expands their lore + that of Tamaran, the greater Vega system, etc), #26 (this is like the aftermath + when Dick and Kory officially start dating I believe)

Tales of the NTT v1 #4 (BIIIIIIG Kory backstory lore dump. Very important.)

NTT v2: #6 (This is the beginning of an arc I don't really remember and don't really care about. Just scroll through the issue until you see Kory wearing the "WE LOVE GAR" shirt and then read everything she says bc I love that scene LMAO), #13-19 (this is the dreaded Kory political marriage arc where Dick loses his nasty mind and he is hella racist to her basically the whole time but you do learn a lot about Tamaran and Kory's family etc. Funnily enough this segues directly into tiny Jason's temporary stint on the team cause everyone was having a mental breakdown.), #22-23 (extension + conclusion of that arc), #39 (literally just koryraven yuri. literally.)

Teen Titans Spotlight: #1-2 (Kory has a journey of self discovery after stumbling upon Apartheid South Africa. You could not make this shit up.), #19 (this is an event tie in but it's also like 100% A Day In The Life of Kory <3)

I'm going to recommend from New Titans very sparingly and with caveats as this is when they started running out of ideas and eventually did a backflip into the garbage disposal but: #71 (Titans Hunt arc is not fucking important but I recommend the first issue purely for reflections on dickkory), #97-109 (I KNOW this is big but bear with me. This is dickkory falling apart to marriage to falling apart again era + koryraven yuri part 2. Literally just skim everything until you see Kory. The actual wedding issue is #100 and after Demon Raven crashes it Kory gets like, possessed/impregnated by a piece of her soul or something and you see the psychological repercussions of that in the background of the succeeding issues until she blasts off in 108, and then 109 is KYNASF'RR. The issue that singlehandedly justifies the existence of New Titans for me. If nothing else read that one. You can keep reading/skimming until #114 if you want but not super necessary it gets. Weird. Basically Kory and Dick just mutually separately realize their relationship is inhibiting their growth as people 😭 #114 is their official breakup issue. Or it would be if Kory didn't stand him up when they were supposed to talk about it on account of not really wanting to see him LMAO.), and #127-130 is one of those arcs that is just confusing to read if you haven't been following everything going on with all the characters involved Lmfao BUT it's another Kory/Tamaran arc and the one where Tamaran goes the way of Alderaan so. Relevant. Raven is still inside Kory also during this time LMAO.

I would NOT recommend reading Titans 99 for any character other than Garth Lmfao BUT #47-50 of that book is an arc centered on her that's like... passable.

She's in Teen Titans v3 as a mentor character but I find that book horribly fucking boring so I haven't read most of it but the popular panels of her tending a garden of Tamaranean plants is from #7

Convergence: New Teen Titans #1&2 is good and also basically functions as a recap of why dickkory did not work out even though in this universe ironically it does. Lmfao

Other than that.... yeah. She's in Outsiders and Titans v2 but the sad fact of the matter is that if Kory isn't on the lineup of a team book, she's relegated to essentially a cameo character, and if shes on a team book that isn't from the NTT era, she's unavoidably going to be mischaracterized, sidelined, flattened, possibly character assassinated, or just generally not prioritized for storylines and character development or treated as a nuanced and multidimensional character.

[hard-core-super-star]

It can be seen as an achievement! I wanted to be mysterious but I just can't, at the first opportunity I'm even giving the name of the hospital where I was born. Oxymorons are so cool until you try to explain it with your own words, jesus.

you're welcome...?jsjwwkk we writers with not-so-creative ideas have to stick together. and thank you for leaving it at that, I think for the first time in my 19 years of life I'm feeling partially mysterious.

Not even if you say please or pretty please! Nope, one day maybe but that day is definitely not today, ESPECIALLY after this alpha!Kate fic. All my thoughts were under lock and key and guarded by the moment Kate said: “You don't have to wait, you can cum for me. Show me you're mine.” It was right there that I became a literal star because I died- Anyway, great job writing this, once again Kate being thoughtful and being one of my biggest comforts 😔

first kill is SO good, my gay heart was so happy watching it, but then I was devastated when it was cancelled.

You were the superheroes kid! Me too 😭🙏 Did you have a fav back then? And yes, I will count these appearances as a point in your vampire journey.

– 🌟

i feel that, i just love to talk and over-explain things that ultimately don't matter. never done it on such a public scale before but i sincerely doubt there are that many people reading this who aren't you so 🤷

nothing screams solidarity and support like giving you more songs to base your ideas on 🤟 you're very welcome, you can be as mysterious as you want around here, i won't pry for details.

not even if i use my secret weapon? 🥺 <-come on, you'd have to be heartless to ignore that. and akskdkkdkskskk i’m happy to hear you liked it ‘cause i had no idea where i was going with it the entire time i was writing it 😅 i think it's obvious by now that i love soft but dominant kate, i literally can't get enough for her!

don't get me started on the cancellation, nobody needs to see that rant. i’ll just leave it at i agree wholeheartedly, i miss my silly vampire show.

i can't believe you're singlehandedly bringing back all my old hyperfixations with these questions but YES, i did have a favorite, it was nightwing and it was painful. i think he's a lot more known nowadays but back when i was growing up there were only the comics and like two video games where he appeared so basically no one knew him. that didn't matter to me though. i also really liked aquaman but like the version before jason momoa aka the guy everyone made fun of because his superpower was talking to fish. and of course, my mention of the CW arrowverse shows 100% means i adored the flash and supergirl. [i still do just less than when the shows were at their peak]

[thedevotionaltour]

i like jason todd but so so purely within my own mind realm and when i read comics the second i see fans talk about him i black out i so so hate the majority of jason todd fans so much. i hate to say it. but it’s so true. too many years of people just being so obnoxious about him and also idgaf about how much you hate tim i feel you people are more insane on trying to make this morally grey character superior to this wimpy little rich kid who stumbled into bruce’s life and makes his own mistakes too that you take away any of the fun nuances of jason that do get to exist when writers actually feel brave instead of doing the same trauma story over and over. like jason is not really a great guy. and that’s what makes him fun!!! you people suck so hard i wanna like jason so much more than i do i used to adore him but for some reason you guys are being so weirdly moral about this 20 something anti hero being a better person than. a 16 year old it’s kind of insane and almost pathetic like can you guys stfu and remember we are literally reading superhero comics NOTHING MATTERS!!! 😭

[ursie]

I’m sorry if my tone was off putting. I did write that after a weird argument where the person was trying to argue facts about Nightwing that weren’t true. I didn’t mean to come across as if I was targeting you. So, I do realize that my original post was actually quite mean and could have been worded a lot better. I do love your blog and I hope this message Atleast doesn’t come off any way.

For me, i actually studied Psychology with a focus on human social interaction (I wanted to be a family and marital counselor) so I do know that the way that Babs treats Dick a lot of times can be coded as abuse. Especially the times when she has been physical with him or yells at him for things he can’t control. I know the word is scary, but nothing will ever change if we don’t be honest you know. It just sucks to see a character who is supposed to represent growth and independence be treated like a lap dog and be gateases/abused/attacked so much by other characters. Idk why Nightiwng seems to be such a magnet for this kind of content. Babs Batgirl used to be my favorite batgril until I started re-reading the stories as an adult and her relationship with Dick kinda bothers me. When she isn’t with Dick I like her 100x better and vice versa. She works better with characters who need that dominance like Bruce or Jason. But with Dick, it really is like the writers are creating drama where this isn’t any which is why it comes off the way it does. But at the end of the day, a spade is a spade you know. And this is also me ignoring the fact that technically, Babs got with Dick when he was still a teen and she was adult. So there is some really messed up history between them that hardly gets addressed. I appreciate that you are brave enough to even post these asks because in my experience many times you can’t talk about this stuff honestly without shippers hopping down your throat.

And I realize my grammar actually sucked really bad lmao I’m sorry for that too as I am using a phone and well that causes it’s own set of problems.

No no you’re fine!!! And yeah while I don’t agree with everything here (not a Babs/B or J *edit just realized you meant the other Jason ignore me* shipper-yes there’s nuance to her and B blah blah it’s just not my thing 😭) literally like. I love Babs her best writing as a character is in the same run she’s genuinely v shitty towards Dick and like. We just kinda have to acknowledge that 😭 love her she’s a bitch like those aren’t mutually exclusive statements 😭 and yeah the age gap..schrodingers canon like is it canon if it’s never acknowledged? Idk but I’m aware of it at all times 😭 also thank you!! I’ve deleted. Sm genuinely vile asks over this and I’ve been blocked by the rest probs 😭 which like. Ok 👍

[jostenneil]

You might have seen this before but if you haven’t been following the previous Nightwing or Batgirl title it is very, well... that Taylor wanted to tell a story about helping the homeless but other writers were already doing it in the issues before him and it was much better. Dick was literally dating a woman who was helping the homeless and was being inspired by her. Barbara Gordon along with Jason Bard (who she was dating again and we haven’t seen since) encountered Ryan Wilder who was

telling her how she does nothing to help people like her and she was all talk. Most presumably the writers were going to take Barbara into a direction of activism. Those stories both got cut off and made way for Taylor’s Nightwing.

i saw the stuff about bea and like! she looked so cool like i didn't really follow the ric grayson arc or whatever but what little i saw of her from other people seemed like such an interesting direction to take esp in terms of dick being in a relationship where we didn't necessarily need to see this constant power imbalance. . . i didn't know about the jason and barbara stuff but in general like we've already talked about so many times before it sucks when writers bring barbara to the brink of being a "real" activist only to subsequently snatch it away 😭